


Voltron Force: Season 3, Origins

by Lovely_Lani



Series: Heirs Of Voltron [2]
Category: Voltron Force
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 23:19:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11241354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovely_Lani/pseuds/Lovely_Lani
Summary: ~A month has passed since the events of the last season~The cadets have returned for the third season, and this time, the heirs of Arus are involved! The others are exploring their own origins, to be reunited with their families, who may be closer than they think.(Past ships and also other)





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Voltron characters, except for my ocs!

Also, this takes place about 15 years before season 2, but a year or so after the original...

~.~

Grace Aldor sat outside the young Arusian girl's door for a while, hoping that tonight, the small child wouldn't cry relentlessly and keep her up for who knows how long. Kristine had known the risks and the important parts of raising a child, it wasn't hard. Well, unless you'd just been told that the heirs of a planet she'd never even heard of, were in her custody.

Not strange at all, right? She had wanted children anyways, so why was it so hard? Well, maybe it was the child didn't like her? Highly doubtful, she was a great kid during the day. She was scared of the dark? Highly possible, though Kamarana had no problem falling asleep. She probably woke up in the middle of the night or something and got scared. For god's sake though, every single outlet was just a nightlight, and the city's lights were pretty bright though, too.

Her twin brother, Junior, didn't have many problems, at least none that would keep him up at night. They may have only been three months old, but she could tell which one would be more of the problem.

After five am, Grace resigned from her post at the door, and made herself a cup of coffee. Returning upstairs, leaning against Kamarana's door, hearing nothing, she was satisfied to fall into a light nap, almost ready to face the day.

~.~

"Mommy, why are you asleep?" the small three year-old's fingers grasped on to Grace's, and she bolted up. Sure enough, both twins had gotten out of bed to go and find her. 

"Kam, hon, it's..." glancing over at the clock, it revealed it was...

"Oh my god, Kam it's seven o'clock! Lord, go get dressed!!" Grace didn't get much sleep these days, either it was both twins waking her up at five to watch cartoons or having to work the late shifts. Those didn't go well, so she often hired a babysitter until she got back, and then collapsing on the couch as soon as both children were safely in bed, and were sleep.

After she heard the little feet patter back to her door after she had gotten dressed herself, she opened it to find both of them again, holding their shoes up. She sighed, as neither of the twins had learned to tie their own shoes just yet, and Kamarana usually couldn't zip up the back of her own dress, and neither could do buttons.

"Go downstairs, I'll be right there." she said, hopping into a pair of shoes and grabbing on of her purses, and running a comb through her red hair. Racing down the steps three at a time, (Grace was pretty sure she broke a heel) she gave them both lunch, and hurried them outside, locking the door behind her. Strapping them both in to their car seats, she drove off even before she managed to jam her own seat belt on. After she'd dropped both children off at the local daycare, she drove off, hoping she'd make it for her schedule at the office.

~.~

"I want to enroll in the flight academy."

Laying down a pamphlet on the counter, the eleven year old Kamarana smiled widely at her foster mother, who took a glance at what had excited her so much.

"No."

"What? But mom, it's like, you know, the best course there is! You wanted me to get out more and here's the solution!" Kamarana whined. "It's going to be the best thing that ever happened to me!"

Rolling her eyes, Grace picked up the pamphlet reculantly. Grace didn't necessarily hate the course, she'd taken it for the three years it required. Though, none of it was put to good use when she'd been handed these children eleven years ago. If they were seriously thinking of keeping her and her brother here for the rest of their lives, it wasn't going to happen with that. Kamarana was too stubborn to give on anything unless she'd truly lost. Junior just did what she did.

"No."

"But mom-"

"No buts. Maybe if you get your grade up in school, I'll consider it..."

"REALLY!?"

"Yes."

"YES!! J, come help me study, I'm going to that flight academy!" on her way upstairs, Kamarana dragged her twin brother up the stairs and into her room. Kristine could hear the books falling on the floor and sighed. If she did go to that flight academy...well, it would definitly be interesting. Grace had never really gotten the chance to see what Kamarana was truly capable of. Maybe this would give her that one glance into her life away from home.

But the thought loomed over her. Grace was supposed to take custody of Kamarana and Junior until they were at least 18, at the very least. At a flight academy boarding school, she was supposed to intrust these children's safety at...well, to the children themselves. The school would do what they could, but Kamarana would manage to cause a bit of trouble. It was just in her nature.

Sighing with frustration, she went back to preparing dinner, mulling over what she'd do. To stop Kamarana and Junior from going , or to encourage them to go. It had been eleven years, but Grace still hadn't got the hang of parenting.

She highly doubted that she would..

~.~

When both children had dissapeared of the grid, Grace and her fiancee sort of freaked out. Grace called the flight academy over and over again, they hung up missing posters, asked around. When they got no answers, Grace refused to stop looking. Kidnapping was a huge possibility. But knowing what she knew, Grace highly believed it would be...what was that one word again? A Drule, Kam and her brother must've been kidnapped by one of them. It would make the most sense. Who else would want a normal seeming fifteen year old? And by seeming, and in the princess and prince of an otherworldly planet?

Drules, that was who.

But they probably already knew. But did that keep Grace from worrying?

No, of course not. She'd raised them after all. And after fifteen years of parenting two unpredictable teenagers, well, you sort of get used to them.

The house was so empty now, every memory of them fading away..

But it would be okay. Grace would make it okay, knowing that whatever happened, they'd be reunited with their real parents.

Some day.

~.~

Like it? hate it? Want to suggest something for the next chapter? (Zoe) Feel free to PM or just tell me!

~Wildfire.Wings


	2. Episode Two: The Mechanic and the Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I use plot devices....a lot.

(HAHAHAm found a flipping OP for it!!!!!!!!!!)

OH. MY. GOD!! How long has it been since I last posted a new chapter? It must be over a goddamn month. I was so busy, and now I super upset that I forgot to. Anyways, it's here now..

So this chapter is mainly focused on Zoe and Johnny, during the first year of the flight academy. Remember, the five don't meet until about their second year...just because of plot reasons..

ALSO:

Dear Lord I hate this laptop or Wattpad did some scary updates!!

~.~

*Zoe*

Johnny is probably the most annoying person on this whole planet. No, wait, the most annoying in the galaxy! I literally can not comprehend why anyone would place him (the most annoying kid ever) with me (the handiest mechanic/technician around) Nope. Not understandable. It's just plain dumb.

But guess who got lucky?

Yep. Me. I got stuck with this idiot.

Why couldn't I have gotten into a team with the Aldor twins? Or even the mechanic-whiz Tonks? ANYONE would've been better than Johnny. ANYONE. That's actually saying a whole lot. Most people at this school are annoying as crap.

My mom, Sianne Matthews told me to have fun this year. I can remember getting my class schedule only a few weeks ago....kind of.

Besides the point though. I'd be lucky if I didn't run into the red haired bother, then my day would turn out pretty fine-

"Hey short-stuff!"

Scratch that.

"What do you need now?" I asked as he came into view. Grinning, he pushed a tablet into my hands.

"Fix it for me. Just...don't look at anything on it."

"As if I would. Second of all, why should I fix it? You're a total bother to me. What makes this worth my while?" I asked.

"Look over there!"

Thinking about it now, even I should've known he'd pull that on me. Sure enough, when I cam back to face him, he was gone. Sighing, I looked at the tablet, which didn't actually look as if it were broken.

"Thanks a lot, idiot"

~.~

-Johnny-

Call me selfish, but I only gave it to blondie because she's the only technician that'll take her time to fix anything. The only concearn I had was the fact she might take it for spare parts.

I was starting to work on this..game thingy for one of the classes I had, and I was pretty far into it. I'd rather not walk past her dorm, and hear hammer noises coming from it. That tablet was my life and joy.

(Well, at least, my ticket to an A in one of my classes, but..eh.)

Just thinking about it slightly worried me.

I didn't want to think about it, it was already getting late, and the teacher already knew my tablet was broken, asking me to go to the library to finish my homework there. It would close in a few hours. There was no use moping around waiting for nerd brain to finish working on my tablet.

As long as she didn't check my notes application, I'd be fine. I'd be freaking gold.

*Zoe*

3:00 a.m.

I swear he must have programmed it to tease me into fixing it. I had decided after dinner that I wouldn't touch it, and was debating what to do with it, and how to give it back to him.

It was freaking taunting me.

So eventually I did get up fifteen minutes later, and switched my lamp on. Pressing the power button on it, it lit up like any other. With it he gave me it's password, so I put that in. Accepting it, it took me to his home screen. I decided I would check every app he had on here, one was probably taking up so much data that it kept the others from working right, and opened for a prolonged period of time, it would probably shut the whole thing down unsuspectedly.

So that's what I did, going through his internet history (boring), app store (boring) phone calls (been there), camera roll (nothing of interest) his games (that's what he did during class...), and finally, his notes, which were locked. I randomnized through the numbers quickly, it didn't take long, 1-3-5-3-1. Opening it, there were billions of entries, one even from the last two school years. This is what was taking up so much data.

My main task was to fix the thing, he didn't give me any special instructions. So, being the nosy girl that I am, I scrolled through a few of his entries. Some of the early ones were funny, about the random stuff that went on during class.

And then it got deeper.

Thursday, of May this year (that's when term started), he wrote:

There's a girl in one of my classes, short haired, brown eyes I think. Her name is Zoe. I think she's cute, and super smart. My friends don't like her much, so they pick on her for being so short, such a nerd. I hate it, but they look up to me. They wouldn't want to be friends with someone like her. But she's really nice.

I like her.

That was shocking, but the second one didn't live up to those expectations.

It blew them out of the water.

Friday, of August this year. That day was the dance! He wrote:

I knew I couldn't trust that girl. They warned me she'd stand me up just for fun. I was there at her door for a solid hour before Zoe came to find me.

I have a façade set up with her. I don't mean what I say, but how would my friends react to me being a boyfriend type to her? Not well whatsoever. I guess I really am still a little kid, waiting a princess to save. And personally, I don't think that Sabrina was that girl. Zoe seems too strong mentally to really be that princess.

Am I over-thinking this?

Tears streamed down my face. He'd been doing this only to fit in. I was literally crying uncontrollably. I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or a little scared. Was he planning to ask me out-but didn't know how to?

Even if he didn't, and this was all a lie, I would fix the freaking thing for him. He didn't deserve any less.

-Johnny-

Zoe came to me smiling the next morning during homeroom, handing me a box with a ribbon tied around it.

It was my tablet, and by the looks of it, she had fixed it. It didn't shut down after half an hour, so I took that as a good sign.

All my apps were still there.

Preparing to write another note, I noticed a note that was written yesterday obviously not written by me. Written by Zoe.

Crap, that meant she found everything. I knew she was too much of a tech genius not to figure out the password. My birthday (January 3rd, 2205) and then my age when I tripped over my own feet (3 and a half). It wrote:

J,

That's sweet. Thxs.

I'm still human, just like you. I won't bite. My door's open to you anytime.

-Zoe H.

Shooting a glance towards her, across the classroom near the windows, her emerald green eyes glistening in the sunlight as our teacher started class.

________

Present day

-Johnny-

I can't believe my friends, the Kamarana and Junior Aldor, complete nobodies last year, are the prince and princess of Arus. Kam says she suspects that the rest of connect to the lions and pilots as well, which I doubt.

Running through my notes, the ones I wrote back in school, I found one written by Zoe.

I'd forgotten about that.

No more competition. No more annoying bullies-that-were-my-friends in my way. She was mine.

_______________________

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!! My first cadet x cadet romance fic!! (one that I own both characters!!)

For people on fanfic.net, the OP is the one to Aldnoah.Zero, just look up Aldnoah.Zero OP 1 on YouTube. See you guys soon!!

-


	3. Episode 3: DNA

Just guess what this chapter is about? Our favorite heir, Johnny~ I am excited as heck to write this chapter, since I'm so rusty with the series. If characters are OOC, I swear it's not my fault (I read up my last story, I have a firm grip on the concept :D)

Plus, just a little connect from last chapter! (Okay that's a lie, but just read on!)

____________________

All was still in the Castle of Lions, three cadets slept in their old room, at least all were actual beds now, rather than bunk beds. Two were sleeping in their own rooms down the hall, the heirs of Arus, Kam and Alex Kagone.

"You want to do what now?"

"I want to test my DNA against everyone elses. Problem?"

Johnny and Kam were arguing again, Kam was actually looking a lot different than when they were back in school. She had immediately had her hair cut, and there was a tiny little crown/headband nestled in her dark hair.

"Yes problem! It was pure dumb luck that I just happened to find my parents!" Kam shouted, munching on something that Johnny still found inedible.

"What happened to 'fate led me here?'"

"Fate led me nowhere. If I hadn't taken that step to fight rather than take my brother and run, we wouldn't be here." Kam said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides, what are the odds you'd find you dad here?"

"Actually, it's 50% if lined up against yours" Zoe said. "It was pure dumb luck really, but Vince had been our teacher for over a year, it was bound to happen soon."

Johnny blushed, Zoe had actually stood up for him of all people. "Hey! I was talking to you!"

________

"MAAHOX!!" Beryle screamed at the top of her lungs. (Even though Maahox was no more than a few meters from her) "This. Gives. Me. Nothing! We haven't pressed our attack for over a month now, my fingers are itching to kill something with my scythe, and that THING might be you!"

"I'm sorry my lordess. I have been thinking of a solution to your problem though." He said, typing away at his computer.

"Present it to me, then." she said, bored before sitting back down on her throne in a huff. She wore a longer black and purple dress with black pumps that looked like they'd be better weapons than footwear. Her hair had been cut short, a crown precariously on the side of her head nestled in her Drule white hair.

She had become so bored with her task of dismantling Voltron, she assassinated her brother in his sleep. She didn't need Maahox getting two orders, there only needed to be one commanding voice, and that was her. That was last week.

"The young red heir, Johnathan McClain, son of Alliya and Lance McClain. I know that both the black and blue heir have been recognized, so someone as reckless as him, he must want his parents as well. They all must, but Johnathan was closest to his mother, after spending eleven years with his mother after the attack. He must want her back. We hurt him or kidnap him, we win until they hand over Voltron."

"Hmm, maybe you are good to keep around Maahox. Prepare the ship for travel, that child is dead."

_______

Alarms.

Was that part of the dream or-

"JOHNNY!" Someone tossed him off his mattress. It was none other than the prince of Arus, Alex Kagone. "Get. Up"

"I'm up, I'm up! What's going on?" he asked, as Alex dragged him toward the control room and plopped him down in his holo chair.

"If you weren't napping, you would've already been debriefed. Another Drule attack, but only a transport, not the armada we incountered last month. Keith thinks they'll be fine." Alex said gruffly, only confusing Johnny further only because he was talking so fast.

"Oh, they'll be fine, I can't say the same for you, child." Beryle said, the point of her blade at Zoe's head. Zoe was easily startled, the thought of death scared her immensely. Though she was a reckless technician, she was easily a softie at heart. Why was she after Zoe? What did she posses the others didn't to the point that Beryle would come herself to kidnap her, or worse, murder her in front of all of them.

Everybody was speechless, tears starting to pool in her eyes, mouthing "write my will for me", before Johnny couldn't take it any longer, and held her at gunpoint.

Or, at least he thought he was, when the woman dismaterialized, and reformed only a few feet away from him, a dagger puncturing the skin, Johnny's head was swimming with both disbelief and pain. He staggered, until falling , while Zoe immediately flew down to his side, tears streaming down her face.

"It'll be fun to see you have to deal with that, Mr. McClain. Here's a message for all of you. You hand over Voltron, I'll cure him." Beryle said, looking over her nails.

"C-cure him of what?" Alex asked worriedly. The sooner the woman would leave, the sooner they could go and get Pidge or Allura to look Johnny over. He didn't look so hot right now.

"Hmm, well the fact he's already lost a lot of blood, for one. Oh, and a minor cold. Do we have a deal?" Beryle asked, keeping an eye on all of the cadets, cutting the connection with the Force out in the field.

"N-no deal! Get out!" Zoe sobbed, they could really all see how torn up over this she was, but there was better times for questions rather than now.

"Fine, fine. I'll see you all very soon, my children." she said, disappearing with a snap of her fingers. The channel cut back on, Keith was asking them a question.

"The channel cut out for a minute there. What's wrong, you all look like you just saw a ghost" He said.

"Well, Beryle showed up again, she held Zoe at scythe-point, before stabbing Johnny. He's on the verge of dying, I think. So yes, we might have just seen a ghost, I guess." she shrugged sarcastically. "We really need some sort of defense against her teleporting in and out of here on a regular basis."

"Where's Allura, or Pidge?" he asked.

"Somewhere. Beryle wouldn't let us go and find them. She just left a few minutes ago."

"I know Zoe has some medical training, get him to the medbay, and as stable as any of you can get him. We'll be back in a bit."

Once they'd managed to get him up, (Tonks carried him like he was a brick-really light) Zoe used what little training she had to keep him stable until someone got back. The rest had gone after some authority figures, but the castle was such a twisting mess, they probably wouldn't be back soon.

"God, don't die on me Johnny. I never told you how I actually felt, I was too scared to. Now you might not ever have the chance to hear me again..."

_______________

Probably one of darker chapter I've ever written. Not necessarily a bad thing. I swear he's not dead though, so for all fans of him, you've been saved.

I'll make sure that they address what Beryle said next chapter, it hasn't gone forgotten :D

Fanfiction.net really hates dots. The OP is Aldnaoh Zero, look that up on YouTube.


	4. Episode 4: DNA Pt. 2

I'm in a mood to write like it's my last day on Earth! Enjoy my children~

_______________

"Let's go over what we know-"

"Kam, how many of these meetings have we had between today and yesterday? I think I counted at least five you tried to start, and six I decided not to attend."

This was the Tonks talking, the usually sweet and understanding mechanic, telling Kam that she was holding too many meetings between them. Zoe nodded.

Between today, and the events of yesterday, Johnny was now stable (for the most part-he kept unientionally pulling his stitches, at least, while he was conscious for less than three hours of the day), everyone was constantly on standby, if there was another attack, on the royal family, or whatnot. Though they were told all five would be under close watch, for some reason Zoe was still on edge, and spent almost every waking moment with Johnny, for reasons unknown. Once, Kam had found her sleeping in him room, curled up in a chair. It hurt to see her friend like this.

"Just let her speak okay?" Alex said. Though he was her twin, he barely stand the meetings that Kam constantly held. "It'll make her feel better"

"Okay, first-" she flicked him on the head "I'm sitting right next to you, I can hear everything you say. Second of all, I've been looking over the cameras lately. There's something you really need to see."

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I don't have time for this. We already found what we could've. Maybe it's time to truly leave it to the Force for once." Zoe said, walking out. Probably to go and spend the rest of the day with Johnny.

"Gotta agree. See you later Kam." Tonks said, following Zoe closely.

"You too, huh?" she looked up from her tablet at Alex's retreating figure.

"Yeah, sorry sis."

"Where are you going at 2 in the afternoon?" she asked. He grinned.

"Someone's gotta keep those holos up to date"

"They tried to kill us a while back"

"Water under the bridge"

As Alex disappeared, Kam sighed before turning back to her tablet. What she had wanted to show her reculant teammates, was the small floating purple camera.

How stupid I was to ignore the signs. This is probably why Johnny is lying unconscious in the MedBay. It's been watching us.

It knows us.

Beryle had been watching us for months now.

_______________________

"You need to eat, you're not robot who can last for hours on end."

Zoe blinked awake, first shooting a look at her watch, stating it was exactly 3am in the morning. A note from both Kam and Alex was on the nightable, but she'd read it later.

Johnny was up, his golden eyes staring back at her. She smiled lightly, almost not being able to see him, remembering she hadn't shut the lights off, but Pidge probably had. Or someone. Whoever it was, they had a tendency to do so when she was asleep.

"I know." she replied, turning on one of the lamps in the room, illuminating most of his face. Other than the fact that he had lost a bit of weight from being stuck in a coma for over a week, he was no different than when he had been up and about annoying the crap out of people.

And still just adorable as ever.

"Have you eaten anything other than air in the last twenty-four hours, or are you just starving yourself watching over me, planning on how to murder me in my helpless state?" he asked, cracking a chuckle, and then coughing up a racket.

"I ate something."

"Like?"

"Half of Kam's granola bar...seven hours ago.." Zoe said apologetically. Johnny quietly laughed, smiling.

"Nice to know someone worries about me. To the point they're starving themselves." he said, looking back at her.

They were quiet for a moment, only the sound of the ceiling fan whirring was the only thing allowing Zoe to keep her sanity.

Before she really knew what was happening, Johnny was leaning over, his lips on hers. Zoe's face was bright red, but she kissed back, not really knowing what she was doing, or even really caring.

The pulled apart only for air, and Zoe felt like her face was almost on fire. Even Johnny's was only a dash around his cheeks, but he smiled anyways.

"You look like a tomato" he said, bringing Zoe back to normal-town. She got up, waving a silent good-bye as he returned it, shutting the door.

___________________

Kam eventually headed off to go and check up on Zoe, who she hadn't seen in the past few hours, which wasn't necessarily worry-worthy, since Zoe was always gone for a few hours at a time, not showing up for meals and such, but that was normal. Never had she not seen Zoe come to the table for dinner though, even if it was just to chat with the other cadets.

Opening the door to Johnny's room, her friend was no where to be found. Johnny was waving hello, and then asking where Zoe was. Kam shrugged.

"She wasn't in here a few minutes ago, she just disappeared I guess." he said, swinging his legs over the bed and getting up, tossling his hair.

"Okay..." Kam said, not really caring. Zoe was probably with Pidge or Tonks. No reason to worry.

But she did worry when she checked with the Force and the rest of the cadets, and none had seen Zoe as of late. Even then, panic levels weren't too high. Some days she'd just want to be alone and wander the halls late into the night without realizing it.

She and everyone else did search the castle, but either Zoe was moving too fast for them, nobody found her. Zoe was literally MIA.

Johnny was on edge for some reason, but Kam didn't question it. It was late and nobody was searching anything properly due to exhaustion, so Alex set out the re-wired spy drone to hunt for Zoe in the castle before everyone went to bed.

Even the next morning, checking the footage from the camera, nothing proved that Zoe was still in the castle, and Allura probably would've been alerted if a villager saw Zoe wandering around the village. Though none came after interogatting most of the villagers.

Nobody has seen Zoe in over 24 hours, so panic-levels were skyrocketing among the team members.

"Can I just have one day where we're all accounted for, 30 days where none of us get skewered like meat, and we don't have robeast trying to eat us all?" Kam asked after she sat the remaining three cadets down in her room.

"Yeah well, I feel bad for you."

_______________

Later that day, while most of the cadets were off doing their own thing, Allura found Lance and called him over.

"You might want to look at this"

____________________________

YAY! #IfinallyUpdated amiright?

 

Yeah, i sort have been up late writing fanfic for klance on here, rather than updating this. I know, i'm sorry!

Finally, some Zoe x Johnny, heavily implied and proven for like a year now, and i finally got around to figuring out how to include it in.

 

~Love ya'll!


	5. Episode 5: See You Soon

So, to round everything up.

There was a foreign prince and king among them, both heirs to the Arusian throne, who knew what else?

"It literally puts a target on our backs. Beryle's out to get us and tear Voltron apart, while chaos just keeps coming around her." was what Johnny started out their meeting with.

"Because that is so motivational. Moving on, anyone else wonder why no robeasts or like, i don't know, being skewered like meat?"

"You've said that three times now since a month ago to today, and every singly time it gets more offensive." Johnny said, Kam was then slightly angered, but that was normal. It was Johnny you were talking about.

"To answer your question." Alex said, breaking up the brewing argument. "Zoe's missing. Common hostage situation. We'll hear from Beryle soon if I'm right. Probably demanding some stuff from us."

"True." Tonks said, seeming almost bored. "I am seriously tired of 'Beryle this, Beryle that' I know she's like, ruler of the galaxy and stuff, but I'm starved for news other than this." she got up and dissapeared into the hallway before Alex continued.

"That's gonna be a issue."

______________________

"How are you today?"

Zoe threw a lazy eye to her captor, who actually looked normal for once, her hair still in a frizzy mess, and in no more than a nightgown.

"I don't know, how would you be if you were captured from the only real home you ever knew? No, I'm great."

"Sassy are we?" she smirked, tossing the girl something putrid-smelling that resembled a granola bar. When Beryle turned around to talk about something else, she tossed it under the mattress, with every other granola bar thing that Beryle had given her in the last three, maybe four days.

"What do you take me for? An idiot? The last captive I had was so much more obideient than you."

"What do I take you for? An evil, kleptomaniac, heir to the DRULE throne, killer of her brother, and a woman who has a fetish of stabbing children." Zoe said, as Beryle rolled her eyes.

"Sassy today?"

"Not you, but I'll take the title for sure." Zoe smiled as Beryle walked away.

"Insolent little girl."

"Insolent? I'll have to look that up, but that woman was insolent. Beryle was so happy to finally capture her prize, that she hadn't even thought to take her voltcom. As soon as she dissapeared somewhere, she just hoped for a connection.

_____________________

It was definitely late, everyone else had gone to bed (well, he knew that Kam was probably up pacing right now, that was her) and Johnny wasn't too sure why he was still up. Thankfully he had eaten in the last 12 hours, but he was worrying over Zoe. He just wanted a sign from her, to let him know that he hadn't angered her or anything.

That was dumb and even he knew it being so ignorant at times.

He almost fell asleep when about an hour later, something was buzzing. Opening his eyes, his Voltcom was glowing grey (he knew it'd be red one of these days). Why he had no idea, but he then fell out of doozy state (and his bed) and realized it was his communicator buzzing to be picked up and answered.

Putting it on, he first assumed it was going to be either Kam or Alex's voice recordings to make sure to do some tedious task in the morning, but it almost had him fall out of his bed a second time when Zoe's voice came on over the speaker.

"J, are you there?"

"Yeah, I am"

"Good, first of all, I think, good morning, second of all WHERE ARE YOU?!" she practically screamed.

"In the castle. Where did you-"

"Rhetorical question J. Seriously though, have you made any rescue plans yet? These strangely glowing granola bars are looking good right about now. I'm starving, thirsty, and I miss everyone."

"Just me more than everyone else?"

"Keep wishing J. Look, I'll contact everyone else again when I can. I just wanted to say hi."

If he kept this up, he'd never get the chance or have the confidence to do this again.

"Hey Zoe?"

"What?"

"I was just wondering...um..."

"Um?"

"Wouldyouliketgooutwithme?"

There was silence on the other end, and he just opened his mouth to say never mind, when Zoe picked up again.

"Sure. We'll make it official if I get back-"

"When."

"Huh?"

"When you get back."

"Okay. Shoot, I can hear Beryle. I will see you soon"

And the line went dead. Johnny knew if he was smart, he'd tell everyone Zoe had contacted him, but he also wanted to wait to see if she'd contact them again later.

Sometimes he wished he was back at the Academy, even back on Balra. He had literally no memory of living there as royalty for the first 11 years of his life. Everyone just kept saying, the accident, and never actually explaining it. Yet none of the current pilots knew that Zoe had started researching that stuff.

The outline, or what Johnny and Tonks could get out of it, was that the castle had been attacked by a dropship of angry drule soldiers. Most of the kids were actually still young at the time, actually no more than three or four months old. That's why they'd been sent away. A lot of information had still been missing, most would be the green, yellow, and red lion's children's last known locations, names, ages, and such. Most of the pilots didn't even know where their children were at moment, Pidge and Hunk were still looking, probably hoping for the best.

Poor Hunk lost his wife in a space battle, Pidge had told them stories of his tech-savvy wife Ariana (he told them it was pronounced Air-riana rather than the normal pronounciation on earth) and how she was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. After Zoe was sent to Earth, he and Ariana didn't talk as much anymore. He made the point to tell Zoe she was a spitting image of him, which she smiled and said, "you have the spitting part down"

They would get her back. No doubt about it. Then they'd be officially an item.

Why Johnny was more worried about that at 3 am, he'd probably never know.


	6. Episode 6: Rescue Op. #2

"-So it's a simple operation, run in there, grab Zoe, we've got all five cadets back, and they'll never know."

"Do you remember the last time we attempted some crazy stuff like that?" Tonks asked. Johnny just looked at her blankly.

"Did you tell everyone that she contacted you last night?" Kam asked, tossing a rubber ball across the room, as it bounced back against the wall.

"Were you not awake at exactly 9 am in the morning? Of course I did!" Johnny said. "She contacted the castle a little while ago."

"Then just leave it to the Force. I'm sure their ready to strike any day now. Why is this so important anyways?"

Johnny couldn't blame Alex for asking. He was up most of the night and into the morning helping Pidge out with some project of his. He was probably a bit delusional.

"Seriously?"

______________

"They're coming for me." Zoe said, Beryle pulling on the practical leash she had gotten Zoe. She coughed when she let go.

"Yes, I know."

Strangely, Beryle didn't push the conversation. Zoe had been stuck here for four days, and still counting. She managed one last conversation with Johnny before the connection was cut. Zoe knew that Beryle suspected, otherwise she'd still be in her cell.

Zoe missed Johnny. Technically they were official, but it had felt so impersonal over a com. She'd get him to fix that later. 

If there was a later.

She had contacted the castle almost 24 hours ago, and they responded with "we'll see you soon" only Johnny wasn't present on the comm call, where he was, she had no idea. 

Beryle eventually returned Zoe to her room (more like a holding cell) where she gave her half of the ugly and disgusting granola bars again. When night fell (or at least her body told her it was night) and she was sure that only a few drones were patrolling the hallways, she fiddled with her comm, and got it working again.

"Zoe, you need to stop getting me up."

"Isn't that what a good girlfriend does?" she laughed quietly.

"Yeah, I guess. Your name isn't alarm clock though." he said. She could here the silent smile.

"Tonight is the night. I don't know what Beryle is planning, but it isn't good. She had me build something for her. I think it's a trap for the Force."

"Good, they won't expect me." he said. "Look, I've gotta go. See you soon?"

"I miss you."

"Love you too"

_______________________

One groggy heir, one technician, and a mechanic were up the next morning literally almost running laps around the castle. 

Johnny was missing.

"Shoot. Do you think he's just in the castle, being Johnny or something?" Kam said hopefully as they took a breather in one of the castle twisting and winding corridors.

"Yeah, I doubt it." Tonks said. Out of both of the twins, she was easily the one with the most stamina, and she had been running for the last hour or so.

"Look, we don't have much time until the Force wakes up, okay? We need to find him." Alex panted, before pressing on his comm. "Johnny? C'mon answer...."

One ring

Two rings

Three rings...

Kam just decided they couldn't waste anymore time. They didn't run though, rather the twins took the second floor, and Tonks took the basement.

They didn't get any sign of Johnny still being alive until Alex's comm buzzed fifteen minutes later.

"Alex?"

Alex was literally furious, he panted and pushed his bangs back from his forehead. "WHERE. ARE. YOU?!"

Even Kam was a bit surprised that he raised his voice like that. Not since the fight over the last box of ramen back at the academy had he yelled like that.

"WE. HAVE. BEEN. UP. FOR. FIVE. HOURS LOOKING FOR YOU!!"

"Alex, just chill."

"DON'T-"

"Seriously just chill. Ariana can probably hear you loud and clear." Kam said.

"Fine. Where are you Johnny?"

 

"Um...-"

"Being a knight in shining armor." Kam almost freaked when she heard Zoe's voice come over the speaker. "Where our exact location is-"

"Johnny?"

"Yes?"

"You went to go rescue Zoe didn't you?" he asked smiling lightly, but his eyes revealed something like a fire burning in his eyes.

"No...."

"You need to get back here!"

"I'm going, I'm going. At the rate we're moving, we should be back in about two hours our time?" Johnny estimated. He hadn't really thought about that.

"We are so dead." Kam said as she and Alex walked down the stairs to the control room, where Tonks mouthed 'sorry'. "Morning Dad..."

 

_______________________

Johnny and Alex exchanged heated goodbyes before the connection was cut. He and Zoe snuck through the Drule corridors. Earlier.

Then a drone found them, and now they were running for their lives.

"Are you sure you remember where you left the pod?!" Zoe asked as they hid behind a pillar.

"Of course. The thing is probably right where I expertly parked and left it. This place is worse than the castle though."

"This is why you're not my knight in shining armor, J." Zoe said sarcastically. "It's gone, go!" she said, pushing him out of their hiding spot and sprinted down the corridor. 

"Found it!"

"Just about time!"

 

____________________

 

It is so much shorter than I meant it to be, sorry!!!


	7. Episode 7: Meaning

Everyone was rejoiced to see Zoe arrive back to the castle safe and sound, but no one was going to lie about Lance's reaction to know that his son had dissapeared in the middle of the night to rescue Zoe when everyone had told him not to.

Tonks often questioned her place on the team. Why had she been given a huge weapon? Larmina had said that it represented you, your personality and who you were. Tonks was no where near where Hunk was with his weapon, in reality she could lift heavy things, but she wasn't as confident as Kam or Johnny, or as confident with their handiwork, like Alex or Zoe.

Bent over another one of her androids was Zoe, easily deep in thought, and Tonks could almost see the cartoonish hearts floating out of her head.

"Thinking about Johnny are we?" she asked. Nobody (well, maybe other than the actual force, and Vince, and Larmina, and Daniel for that matter) that Zoe had a thing for Johnny. Why else would he just go out in the middle of the night to go and find her?

She blushed madly before pushing Tonks away. "It-It's not like that Tonks! And you know it!" she whined, chucking her stylus at her playfully.

"Don't lie. You're lucky the Force is so oblivious about it, really." she said, giggling at Zoe refusing to admit it.

"Very funny Tonks." she smiled, and turned around back at her work. "I haven't managed a power source for it yet, because it runs on so many watts, so it would short out most of the castle."

"No idea. Get a better power strip?" she guessed, and giggled lightly. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Tonks, that is.....actually a pretty good idea. If we were still on Earth. And if we could plug it in somewhere." she said, almost sarcastically. "I'll figure it out. Go find Alex or something. He probably needs help."

Or you just don't need mine, Tonks thought. Though she could slightly understand, since even she didn't like anyone breathing over her shoulder while she was working. She wandered away, making sure the close the door behind her, sighing, and then deciding on a nice walk around the ground would probably do her some good.

____________

When the door closed behind Tonks, Zoe sighed and pushed back from her chair. What were her thoughts on Johnny? Had it just been him being terribly injured why she had then liked him immediatly? Sure, she had liked him for quite a while, but now she wasn't sure. During that time on the downside, a blood test had revealed him as royalty. What if there were rules for courtship on his native planet?

What if his mother didn't approve?

What if Lance didn't approve?

It hurt to think like that. Though really she just didn't know what to think anymore.

She got up, going to rest on her bed, looking to the ceiling. Who was she to ask? She didn't feel like asking either Keith or Allura, she felt that would end up with her getting defensive and never get what she was looking for. Lance was off-limits, she would get so tounge-tied and end up saying what she didn't want to, and she'd be exposed.

She didn't know about Pidge or Hunk, so they were last-resorts.

Zoe eventually remembered something she'd discovered when Daniel had first come back, when Larmina had looked at him a bit differently than everyone else, almost a look of happiness to see him back than defensiveness or fear like the others.

Zoe hadn't thought of it since, but....

She got up, jumping down from the top bunk, off on her hunt for Larmina.

_________________

Sadly, Zoe didn't get very far, because she got lost and Lance called over the comm for the cadets to come to the debrief. 

That sent shivers down her spine only because it was his voice, and exactly who she was hoping to avoid.

Eventually they all gathered, a sleepy looking Kam (well, she just had her hair a bit dishevled, but probably not enough for anyone but her to notice) Johnny (obviously), Alex, and Tonks, who still had her goggles on, her hands a bit greasy.

Strangely enough, none of the other pilots were there, and Lance looked a bit surprised when he found all five of the cadets quiet and attentive.

"Well, I definitely didn't expect all of you. I just needed Johnny." he said. "I guess you can stay though."

"Well, Johnny hope you don't mind going on a little road trip." he said, giving him a rare smile. "We're visiting you're mother for a week."

What?

Johnny actually looked genuinely surprised, and everyone dispersed afterwards, all except for Zoe. She was getting up to leave when she heard her name being mentioned.

"Can I bring someone along? Someone I'd like mom to meet?" Even Zoe could hear a hiccup in his voice over the word mom. Anyone would be with almost five years of seperation and almost no memories at all.

"Go for it kid."

"Could I bring Zoe? She's a good friend of mine."

By that time Zoe had already left where either of them could see her, it wasn't like she was eavesdropping, but she felt her face heat up at the mention of a good friend. She waited for Lance's response.

"Sure. We're leaving tommorow." Zoe was sure he said a few things after, but by then she had run off, hoping not to be seen by anyone.

____________

Even though everyone had been brought together that day earlier it seemed as if everyone was ignoring her. Tonks couldn't understand why.

Wandering into dinner, nobody was there, which was creepy, and it was completely dark. Even creepier.

Even though she had a tough exterior, she was literally panicking. Where was everyone?

Fingering around for the light switch, she finally found it, and flicked it on.

"Happy birthday!"

In a short sentence, Tonks had been so busy with making sure nobody died and not to be too hurt by the constant loneliness, that she had completely forgotten that she was seventeen today.

"Just to let you know" Kam took her aside after the festivities, "everyone pitched in on that cake. If it starts disagreeing with you, it was't my fault."

Tonks laughed in response, before Kam began again.

"Oh yeah, and not gonna lie, have you seen the way Larmina looks at Daniel? It's adorable isn't it?"

"Don't tell Zoe."

"Why?"

"Because she'll say that the conspiracy theory was finally debunked." Tonks and Kam had a good laugh at that one. 

"Oh! And something else just for your ears."

"Have you seen the way my brother looks at you? He thinks you're adorable, but too strong to approach." Kam said, turning Tonks' face red. She contemplated that sentance for a moment.

"But. I'm not. I'm just me."

"He doesn't know that."

___________________

I'm sorry. I could not resist :D


	8. Episode 8: Just Like Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear do not request some long chapter like this again XD

A/N: This is easily one of the longest chapters I've written, and just because it's a "special episode" or something (IRL I just had a burst of creativity)

________________________

The flight over to Balra had been quiet, none of them knew exactly what to say, or how to even start a conversation in such a circumstance. There was some small talk, talking about the party they had held for recently-seventeen year old Tonks, and other trival matters.

"So how did you two meet?" was what Lance asked after the umpteenth time Zoe wondered whether they were there yet.

"Rivals back in middle school" Johnny answered. 

"Still rivals." she added, hoping to be as inconspicous as possible. Though she had whispered, and she doubted Lance heard her at all.

"Really? Why would you bring her along then? Nothing more?"

Zoe's face became bright red, and she didn't even have to look in the reflective window to notice. One of the moments she wished she had longer hair to hide behind. She didn't answer, even though she didn't want to leave Johnny out to dry, but as Zoe, she was one to say things out of nowhere, even if her brain disagreed completely.

"no." Johnny said, and Lance shrugged.

The rest of trip was quiet, often with Lance trying to lighten the rip up, but when that failed, he kind of just quit. But when they arrived was when it got interesting.

As soon as they left the small ship, a small woman, probably of 40 years, with dark hair and wearing a light tannish shirt and a light skirt. She had a tight-lipped smile, and a bun pulled all the way back, was there to greet them

The other woman was probably of her late twenty-fives, and she had auburn hair in twin braids tied in her hair in twin buns, with a flowery headband on as well. She wore a spring dress, and definitely looked a bit more childish than the other.

The last woman was easily shorter by a foot or so by her accompaniment, and she had short red hair with a small curl around her finger. She was dressed up a bit more, wearing a floor-length dress that was a crimson red, but she seemed friendly with her hazel eyes glittering with happiness as she saw Lance.

Before they had landed though, Lance had warned them by saying "Yeah, kid, your mother is a bit eccentric. Be careful" Or something like that, Johnny had managed to forget in about fifteen minutes. All he remembered was that he had mentioned the word eccentric, and mother.

Even Zoe knew that would never roll of the tongue. At least not for a few months. (or years for that matter)

"Lance!!" the woman, who Zoe assumed was Johnny's mother, leapt onto the red lion pilot, hugging him frantically. The older woman almost held out her hand to stop the Queen, but decided against it. Considering their staggering height difference, Lance didn't stumble, rather embracing her.

"It has been way too long since I've seen you!" she said, excitedley. "How have you been?"

Zoe thought she talked too fast, as she only heard garbled words of what she was saying, but easily Lance didn't mind, as he kept up with her small talk. 

"Other than that. I was told you brought a guest with you?" she asked. For a queen, Zoe thought, she was childish. Not Larmina childish, like actually childish.

"That would be me" Johnny said.

Zoe had never seen anyone hug someone so fast.

Funnily enough, Johnny was easily taller than his mother, but he wasn't as strong. He didn't have time to hug back before she started talking again.

"Oh. my. goodness. 5 years, too much I want to say!" she said, holding his face in her hands. "You look just like your father!" she let go, a huge smile on her face. "And.. aren't you going to introduce me?"

"To who?" Johnny asked, and Zoe contemplated whether or not she had been forgotten.

"To your girlfriend obviously!" she said like it didn't even matter.

Okay, this woman wasn't just childish.

She was slightly crazy.

Zoe could see Johnny's face reddening, and him arguing with both his mother and father on the subject, while Lance was just laughing in the background, pretty much ignoring everything his son was saying.

"My lady. If you don't mind, we should really be showing our guests to their rooms. You know security will be looking for you soon." the older lady interuppted the strange bonding moment.

"Oh alright. Anyways, this is Maurise, and this is Ori. Zoe, is it?" she addressed her. "Ori will escort you to the guest wing."

Ori waved at her, and took her by the elbow. She seemed friendly enough with her bright smile and light colors. Even so, she threw her head back to look at a flushed Johnny, and grinned. He tousled his hair and returned it.

____________

"This will be your residence for the next week or so" Ori said, opening the door to the vast guest room. Zoe was immediatly overtaken by how big the room was, living in a normal sized room all her life. Ori eventually just brought her in after she stood there quietly for a few moments.

"Now, the queen planned a nice dinner for the re-arrival of the prince and king. I need to get you dressed first of course!" Ori said excitedley, pulling a rubber band off her arm, Zoe noticed it had left a deep mark, and she tied Zoe's already short hair into a small ponytail.

"What color do you prefer? Red? Pink? Orange?" she asked, looking Zoe up and down. "Minimal makeup easily-the queen doesn't like clowns in her castle"

"White?"

"White it is. Have fun being a statue for the next few hours" Ori smiled even though she clearly disagreed with Zoe's choice of clothing color, but she abided, racing out of the room.

Ori didn't take long to arrive back, and she was bubbling along with a few long shirts and pants. 

"There aren't any dresses?" she asked, a bit surprised that Ori was no longer wearing one, and that none were included in the bunch. Ori explained that the queen had a hatred for wearing anything with a skirt because of multiple occasions were she tripped over the skirts. Maurise was apparently the only one who kept with the tradition, as none of the other servants in the castle wore them regularly.

After that long monlouge, Ori got to fixing Zoe's hair into a small bun adorned with beads and two wooden sticks. How, Zoe found as a feat of pure magic. There was only a few swipes of skin-tan eyes shadow and lip gloss, and she didn't see the difference. Only she was, shinier.

She thanked Ori and they got to dressing her, first in a long white shirt and leggings, then a tank dress, and Zoe seriously felt like it had been ages since she'd last seen the outside of that door.

Ori talked while she worked, explaining she was from off-world, and was originally a shop owner. Her planet was eventually taken over by the drules, and amazingly she didn't shed a tear and continued on smiling. She told Zoe about her family, her friends, her co-workers that were scattered across the universe now.

"And....we're done!" she said, looking over her creation. Zoe understood she worked hard, but she would have to not breathe for however long this dinner was, AND not get anything on the shirt. Ori had managed to tie a sash around her waist that actually made her look thinner than any stick.

"C'mon let's go!"

____________

Two things were obvious at the end of the night:

One, that servant Maurise was definitly a bit creepy, as she would be in her seat next to Ori, and then a second later she'd be taking away the dinner plates and handing out dessert. Later when Zoe was dismissed from the dinner table, she thought she saw Maurise's small stature in the corner.

Two, everyone shipped her and Johnny together, majorly.

"Sooooo, how old are you?" Alliya asked, after the dessert plates had been cleared by an emotionless Maurise, who had wandered off, and Ori took her place next to Zoe.

"16." Johnny answered. Obviously, even he was awkward about this because Zoe could practically see his brain's motor running and steaming, but he stayed quiet.

Alliya rolled her eyes "How about you?" she said, directing her question towards Zoe.

"15 and 8 twelvths, I turn 16 two months from now, in July." (A/N Yes I know, time passes strangely within this story. Originally Tonks was 16 and a half, Zoe was 15 and two months, Johnny was 16, and the twins were 16. The story started in the ending of the last year, November -math- get me a medal please. mah brain hurts now)

"Aw, nothing interesting? C'mon, even I know living with my husband is interesting experience." she said. Lance laughed.

"Aboslutely nothing? That's debatable. Let's see, I managed to get-" Johnny began talking, and Lance immediatly covered his mouth.

Alliya looked confused, but she shrugged and continued pestering Zoe about some things like "how did you and Johnny meet?", or "how long have you known each other?"

Zoe kept tight-lipped, only answering questions she suspected wouldn't lead to more unwanted questions.

Everyone eventually dispersed, and Ori lead Zoe back to her room. She then locked the door behind them, and then peeked out and relocked the door.

"Are there burglars here?" Zoe asked slightly worried, fumbling with her hair.

"Oh no, of course not, I just want to warn you a bit. Maurise is from off-world, but never told anyone where. If you haven't noticed, she has some stalker-ish tendencies, from sometimes being there when I didn't notice her to being outside my door when I wake up. Just be kind of careful, if you see anything, please tell me." Ori said, taking down Zoe's hair and wiping off her minimal makeup.

"O-okay... Does Johnny know?" 

"Why?"

"So, you know, nobody gets kidnapped on this trip." she shuddered from the memories of being stuck as Beryle's pet. For how long, it was probably only two days, but that would leave a scar on her for the rest of her life.

The next few days went by strangely, Maurise would be everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and the constant pestering of her and Johnny's relationship was way too annoying. She seriously just considered stomping her way into the room with her hand in Johnny's hand and scream "We're together. Deal with it."

Except that bothered her, and her shyness was real. Really she had no idea what to do.

The fifth day came by with Ori paying her visits and taking her places around their planet's capital city, near their landmarks, and they even took a few pictures and went shopping.

When they came back, Ori was holding a box of cake, a few bags of clothes, and still talked like she wasn't exhausted. Ori eventually brought her back to her room, noting she was going to help out in the kitchen for dinner. It was quiet for the first few minutes of Ori gone, as she was flipping through alien T.V channels, when a loud knock came from the other side of the door.

Johnny didn't have his normal, arrogant smile when he looked at her, which didn't leave her worried, he had that face since dinner when they arrived.

"What's wrong? I haven't seen you outside of meals for the last few days." Zoe said, searching his face for clues.

"I just saw Ori laughing to herself, muttering some words with some steam trailing behind her. I doubted mom and dad would believe me, apparently she's been here since I was born."

"'Kay..." she said skeptically. Now this frightened her, had she befriended someone who might hurt her, or worse?

"I came here first thing. What should we do?" he asked, ruffling through his fire-red hair. Even she could see that he was seriously worried about this. She took his hand in hers and he looked at her.

"We'll figure it out. Promise. This is what you have me for." she smiled and pecked him on the cheek with a kiss.

"Now go back to your own room before your mom or dad finds us like this." she said, waving to him on the way out.

"What in the world has she been doing that gets him so worried?"

____________________

Dinner was less interesting than the rest of the week, as neither the red lion pilot or the queen spoke to them directly, and the only people she had to talk to was Johnny and the servants, both of equal watching now.

Today she wore a green blouse and leggings, both hand-picked by Ori, who as she studied closer, did seem a bit strange, hurrying out of her guest room after doing her up.

Afterwards, she and Johnny made sure neither royal was following them, started down the main hallway, hunting for clues. Though originally Johnny disagreeded with the plan, Zoe convinced him by saying the next time she had earth money, she'd give him twenty dollars.

It was dark by the time Zoe realized that she was lagging behind Johnny. She was about to tell him he could go to bed then, before he sped up, jogging down a seperate hallway, as Zoe unwillingly followed him.

She noticed steam getting thick the further they went, and she sped up, following the purple steam, down yet another hallway, until it got thick and they stood in front of an unlabeled door, without the usual royal crest on it, like all the other doors.

Zoe looked at Johnny, before nodding to him to open the door. He had his voltcom activated and ready to go, before kicking the door, and even she knew that he immediatly regretted it, by the look of pain on his face. She cautiously opened the door, and saw Ori's stature hunched over what looked like a crystal ball.

They continued in, looking at Ori's face, which Zoe immediatly looked away. Her eyes were rolled all the way back to the whites and she was mouthing some sort of curse or something.

Staring into the crystal ball itself, Zoe noticed a drule within, their back towards them, no matter where they looked from.

The drule turned around, and was obviously Ori, at least, from what she thought, it looked like her, only with purple skin and white hair, and carrying a tea set. When the Ori-but-not-Ori continued into what looked like-

"It's Beryle's throne room!" Johnny whisper-shouted, almost in sync with Zoe's reaction.

"My lady. It's taken me so long to finally get it to work. Projecting yourself almost 400 light years away is hard work." she said, placing the tea set on a nearby table.

"And the boy and that girl still reside within the castle?" Beryle asked in that witchy voice of hers, spinning a strand of hair around her finger.

"Yes."

"Well, none should leave until at least Monday, in earth terms, two days from now. You still have your plan in place?"

"Yes ma'am, as far as I'm considered, all of them still think Maurise is with the Drule Empire." she proudly said, as if presenting a special ornament to her. Beryle rolled her eyes.

"Good. No one followed you in?"

"No, not with my knowledge."

"Leave me then. I don't require you until Monday. Dismissed."

The crystal ball went blank, and Zoe and Johnny panicked, realizing that when it ended, Ori would be back here.

They got up, attempting a quick escape, but they were foiled, as they both felt two strong arms grab onto the back of their shirts.

"You shouldn't be here, you two. You won't tell anyone of this conversation, right? You know I have the ability to connect to cameras. And Beryle's army."

"Yes!" they both said, and Ori let them go with a creepy smile, and a wave before the door closed on her.

"What do we do about this anyways?" Johnny asked. "Do we stop this ourselves, or..."

"I don't know. And I've said that a lot in the past five days. This is a huge issue though-"

"That's where you two have been!" Alliya said, from the hallway, with a tired smile on her face. "Lance and I have been looking for you guys since the end of dinner! Please, I don't need any grandchildren. Do I look like a grandma to you?"

Both stayed silent, when Alliya giggled.

"I'm just joking. Oh! Ori! Can you escort Zoe back to her room?"

"Of course my lady." she nodded, and took a firm grip on her shoulder, leading her back through the twisting hallways.

After she had gotten Zoe ready for bed, she turned of the light and closed the door with a 'don't tell anyone' and a giggle that sounded more like a murderous laugh.

_______________

"And so, you're saying she's an undercover agent for the Drules? Funny story Zoe. Ori is a great woman, and she's worked here so long, she's so kind. Why would she do something like that?" Alliya asked, with her hand in her palm.

"Shhh. Johnny saw it like I did. Seriously!"

"Until I see proof, which I doubt I will, I can't believe that and pass it off as a story." Alliya said, frowning sadly, but sounding like an apolegetic kinder teacher, like she just didn't care.

"Anyways, on a lighter note, coronation day is soon~" she said, in a happier tone.

"What does that mean?" Johnny asked, and Zoe was equally as curious.

"It means you'll be officially recognized as the crowned prince of Balra." Lance answered, as his wife pouted, as she probably wanted to do most of the talking.

"Anyways, it'll be tommorow, I know, thrown together pretty fast, I apoligize, and you'll get to stay here with me!!" Alliya said, excitedley. "It's been so long since I've had another royal in the castle! And we'll have parties, and all sorts of things. It'll be fun to find a wife for you!"

Zoe and Johnny looked at each other as she floundered off with a creepily-able-to-appear Maurise, who took solid notes as she spoke.

"I believe you. That woman was always a bit weird." Lance said after they all determined Alliya was out of earshot. "God, I found her with you in the library after two hours of searching when you were three. Even stranger when she took you out of the house without even alerting us of you two leaving. Sadly, Ori has been around since a little while before you were born, Alliya probably won't believe you." Lance said, leaving his spot. "See you around kiddo"

"Was she serious? Are you seriously going to stay here?" Zoe inquired, following him to the courtyard. "I'd never see you again..."

"That I understand. What I don't get is why mom is so....I don't know, crazy on the idea of having me here all day, everyday." he answered, taking a seat near the fountain.

"Well, she is your mom, you've been here for five days, while you've been gone from her for almost five years. I think she kind of has the right." Zoe answered, taking a spot next to him.

"Sure. Not a fan of being away from everyone though. Since I got there, Alex has been my best friend."

They sat there for a while, contemplating how life would be like, one paw down from their team. (okay, I am so sorry XD)

______________________

Creepily enough, when Zoe woke up the next morning to a soft knocking on her door, it wasn't Johnny or Ori, rather Maurise with a few white dresses in her hands. And she wasn't even slightly scared. With the events of yesterday, she felt that it shouldn't be Maurise she was worried about.

"I'm not getting married Maurise." she said, allowing the older woman into her room, allowing her to organize all her tools on her dresser and place the dresses on her bed.

"I know. I was told to 'do you up'. Ori said she wasn't feeling well right now."

Cute excuse. Probably contacting Beryle, Zoe thought, rolling her eyes when Maurise turned her back.

Unlike Ori, Maurise wasn't as talkative. She only spoke of the day's events, such as the ball that was to take place after the coronation celebration, and others, like the dinner after the ball.

That she was looking forward to.

Not, never seeing Johnny outside of visits for the next...

Well, who knew how long? Until the next red lion pilot was needed?

Maurise did her hair up in a bun much like the first that Ori did, except just the beads twisted into the small, low bun. After Maurise had finished with her face, she looked in the mirror, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She slightly smiled, and decided, whether or not she was happy about it, Johnny was probably happy.

And she would be happy about it too.

By the end of the morning, she had already regretted wearing these heels, as she could barely feel her right foot and toes, and she already almost tripped over the hem of her dress two times.

When she and Maurise reached the courtyard, she almost freaked. There were dozens of citizens, and due to only being around the royal family, Maurise, probably-drule-but-not-drule-Ori, and the other servants, she almost didn't know how to react.

People were bustling around, most in fancy, expensive looking, dresses and tuxes, and she realized the last time she'd seen anything like this was when Larmina was coronated, and Kam risked her life. Not a great memory.

Maurise followed close behind, but Zoe barely noticed with how quiet she was. The only actual notice she was there, was her small shadow.

She stepped through the crowd, as there were a lot of teenagers (definitely less unruly than those of earth!), and a lot of adults. Most whispered to each other when she walked by, and she caught slight wind of it, some asked whether or not the queen had birthed another child, and why she was here.

Siblings? Please, we probably would've choked each other if that were the case.

Zoe eventually saw the fire-red hair of Johnny, and took the hem of her dress and lifted it, to walk a bit faster towards him.

When she did make it through the crowd, she found him chatting with three girls that seemed of his age, or hers. They were all wearing the same type of color, pastel, in blue, pink, and yellow, and they all seemed to be flirting with him. And he must have been enjoying it, with the smile on his face.

No need to jump to conclusions.

Probably just from excitement.

Yeah, that's it.

He spotted her, and waved her over. The girls immediatly looked sad with his attention wandering to her. One even got up and left with a disapproving look on her face.

Sassy are we?

"Hey! I was wondering where you were!" he said, smiling. "You look adorable" he whispered out of ear range of the other girls, making her blush.

"Don't call me that."

"But, I will if I want to~"

"Don't get that god complex just because you're being crowned today." she said, smirking for a second.

"'Kay. I'll lay off. But seriously-" he got quieter "-These girls have been hounding me all morning. That's why I was looking for you."

"I haven't seen Ori this morning either."

"Really? I thought she would've shown her face already. And pulled some stunt or something." he answered. "Weird."

"Yeah. Imma poke around for a little while."

"With that, what time is it anyways? I don't have a watch on me."

"In earth time, it's 2:45. It's not military time, just 2:45"

"Shoot! Mom is going to end me. See you soon!" and he dissapeared into the crowd, and Zoe dusted her skirt off. When she looked back up, the same three girls stood in front of her.

Jealous now? What the actual heck? (I wish we were in Legendary Defender right now)

"We saw you talking with the prince all secret. What's the deal?" the first said, in blue.

"Yeah. We were here first. We get first dibs as princess." The one in pink said.

Theoretically hon, that was me. We met first.

Wait, these idiots think I'm dating him?

Dang they're good. They all dissapeared when I sat down.

"So what? Have you known him all your life? I don't think so." Zoe quipped, and the one in yellow smiled.

"You think wrong. We've known him since we first met him in kinder. How long have you known him, five minutes?" she blinked, and Zoe didn't know what she was trying to do, and whether or not she had a rock in her eye. Where had she seen someone do that before?

"Okay....so? I see no depth to your argument."

"Wrong answer."

Zoe didn't even see it coming (and she later wondered why), and the one in blue pushed her into the fountain, and everyone turned to look. All of the girls batted their eyes (she later found the word she was looking for), and kindly-but not so kindly- helped her out. 

"You should really be more careful"

"Now you're all wet."

"I hope you have some extra clothes!"

They all smiled sympathetically, but they stopped smiling when they saw the small stature of Maurise find her way next to Zoe and take her by the hand. Maurise lead her back to her room, where she handed her what seemed like the exact same dress, and took more-of-an-earth-hairdryer, and dried her off. Her hair was frizzy, and except for the exclusion of the red eyes, she looked like she had been crying.

"I saw what they did. They're just jealous. I should know, Johnathan only attended your earth kindergarten-I mean on planet, on our planet- a few weeks at a time, their argument is invalid." Maurise said, undoing her hair, and placing it into twin braids on the back of her head, and -making sure she was dried off, again- getting a lacey white dress over her head, and tying the sash as far back as she could, before realizing Zoe couldn't breathe.

Maurise escorted her to the coronation hall, taking a seat in the middle of the row, with a firm view, whether someone taller than her sat in front, they'd still be able to see.

Maurise didn't talk much at all, and she left Zoe to looking around at the many citizens (and non-citizens) of the closer Balra community. She could tell most weren't from Balra, some were literally green and blue, and some almost looked human (she learned from Alliya most Balra-born looked like humans but were stronger).

Ori was nowhere to be found, and Zoe hoped it would be like that until Johnny was coronated, so at the very least everybody would be up and milling around, making it harder for her to pinpoint Zoe. Johnny was on his own, he was the prince today.

It quieted about fifteen minutes later, as the three girls from earlier passed by, and Zoe had to hold herself back from tripping all three of them. Their aggravting similarities, same blonde hair, same updo, same dress type, same scowl. It almost triggered her.

Eventually, they got the ball rolling, and even though Zoe was seriously interested in the ceremony, it was like getting wed, everything the priest said was important, yet, if you were like Zoe, you had issues following everything because you were slightly bored. Who wouldn't be if you'd been soaked, brought along on a crazy trip, and always looking over your shoulder for a stalker-but-not-stalker-but-is-a-crazy-drule, yeah, you would've have already lost your mind.

The ball was the most interesting. Zoe couldn't even get close to Johnny, as he was overwhelmed by all sorts of royals from nearby kingdoms, and even some planets. And these royals had children, like girls, and even some teenage boys that were giving him tips and such.

"Shall we dance?"

Someone asked her that who was in a masquerade mask, and looking back towards Johnny, she could tell it wasn't him. He had lightly dusted blonde hair, and was easily three or four inches taller than she was, and he smiled at her. He took her hand, and danced into the ballroom, with other couples. Even though it was childish, she loved the way her dress swirled around as she and the masked dancer continued around the ballroom, and they kept up with small talk.

"So, what's your name?"

"Zoe. Zoe Holt."

"Dante. Dante Gunderson." he said. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You look a lot like my sister would have. My younger sister of course."

"Well thank you. I don't have any siblings Mr. Gunderson."

"I have three younger sisters, and one who's been missing for about fifteen years now. Haven't seen her since she was a baby. Ellah Gunderson."

"How old are you Dante?"

"I'm 17. How about you Miss Holt?"

"Fifteen and a half. I'll turn sixteen in two months"

"April?"

"April 25th, almost 26th"

He removed his mask, revealing chocolate brown eyes, and a warm face of just freckles. His hair was a dirty blonde, done up with a bit of hair gel, only letting one spiky strand of hair hang in front of his face.

Now Zoe did like Johnny, a lot, and even though she had only known Dante for a matter of minutes, she was already attracted to him. He had a warm smile, and very inviting as a friend. The way that he lightly carried her across the dance floor, keeping a very discreet way of letting her know that he wasn't taking control of her and leaving Zoe with personal space.

He let her go, and they both sat at a table, resting for a quick moment, but Zoe apologized profusely when she realized she had stepped on his toes multiple times. He continued to say that he didn't feel much, and that his socks had probably protected him.

He went on to explain his sisters, Camillia, Camryn, and Carmen, who, amazingly, were all strong, healthy triplets, but in everything they wanted to match, as they were Camillia Lindsey, Camryn Leslie, and Carmen Lilac Gunderson, and they wore pretty much the same color everyday. Annoying, he admitted, somedays not being able to tell who was who. He did mention one triplet had a higher pitched voice, Camryn, and one had a few less freckles than the others, Carmen.

Dante left his other sister, Ellah, for last, explaining she was deeply blonde, like their mother, and always had her hair in twin braids when she was a baby. They were only months apart, just about a year to be exact, maybe a year and a month, a year and two months.

When Dante left to grab a few drinks for them, her voltcom buzzed on her arm, and she answered.

"Hello?"

"Is that how you answer the telephone? C'mon Zo, I need you!"

"Is your fanbase too big?" Zoe asked jokingly, but then realized he was dead serious when he didn't laugh back.

"Not really. See, I trapped Ori-"

"Be there in a sec." she said, and turned off her voltcom, heading out of the ballroom, weaving in and out of the castle, into the courtyard. She raced past the other girls, leaping over the one in the blue dress' foot, who attempted to trip her.

When she had finally taken seven wrong left turns, and two wrong right turns, she managed to find the serious purple steam, and when she turned the corner, she saw the fire-red hair of Johnny, pinning down Ori's lanky form on the ground, as she laughed manically.

"You. Can't. Stop. It." she almost screamed. "Neither. Can. You." she said, acknowledging Zoe's presence.

"Maybe not alone." she said, activating her voltcom.

"Zo?"

"Yeah?"

"What's up with your voltcom?"

Zoe looked at it, and realized it was being overtaken by the color green, an apple green the color of Dante's jacket. It flickered in and out, and then returned to the light blue that was everyone elses. 

Was that a sign?

Zoe shook it off, deciding to figure it out later. She helped with the struggling figure of Ori, who then had the whites of her eyes showing again. What were they supposed to do? Weren't people looking for the crowned prince of Balra? They'd all be frightened by now, how long had she spent with Dante, completely forgetting about Johnny.

What were they supposed to do now? We're they supposed to kill her?

"Can't you stun her with that thing? Isn't it electricity?" Johnny asked, obviously kind of struggling to keep the right side of her pinned down. She was flailing too much.

"Right." as Zoe attempted his strategy, holding it above her flailing body, trying to imagine it kind of like a humane way to put the woman out of her misery.

Why was she thinking about the cat she had when she was younger now?!

She struggled for a moment, then pressing the blade onto her body, and it immediatly sent what looked like some serious electrical currents through her, making her shake for a moment, and then letting her lay limp. Johnny immediatly went for her pulse, first checking her palm, then her chest, and when he saw it rising and falling normally, he got off of her and helping Zoe up.

"I came as soon- what happened?" Lance's voice came from a nearby hallway, a frazzled looking Alliya with him. Her dress' hem was easily dirtied with the unkempt floors in the back of the castle, and outside in the courtyard.

"Well, see, Ori tried to kill me, I pinned her down, I called for Zoe, then I called for you, Zoe elctrocuted her, -don't worry, she's still breathing- and then you came in. Do you mind helping us get her to the medbay?" Johnny asked.

Lance shrugged, and walked over to help him. Alliya looked even more frazzled than before and looked more faint of heart than she had seen her in the last six days. Zoe walked over to her, and found she was....laughing?

Oh my gosh.

The queen of Balra has lost her mind.

"It's just, Maurise and I planned this out beautifully yesterday. And the day before, but this happened and, well, we did not have a contangency plan for this." Alliya answered. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Well, I managed to get pushed into a fountain, changed, and then electrocuted one of your servants-that-is-actually-probably-a-Drule. Yeah, I had fun." Zoe answered sarcastically.

"You didn't even get to dance with Johnny?"

"No. Have you seen that boy's fanbase?"

"Heh. I guess you're right. Don't you love him though? How could you let him be taken like that?" she asked, tilting her head the way that Zoe remembered her dog doing such a thing, when he was confused on what he was supposed to do.

"Number One, okay fine, you got me-"

"I knew it!"

"And two-" she glared at the queen, to make sure she wouldn't say anything else," I guess I'm not that brave. I had to rely on Maurise to get me re-dressed. Ori dressed me for the last week. It's going to be weird doing it myself."

"True. True."

"Is Johnny really going to stay here?" she inquired, standing against a wall, not even caring her dress was being ruined right at that second.

"I'm not going to let him. He deserves something better than always being hunted like this. Too many people. I'll leave him with you guys. He'll be less hurt, I guess. I want to see my son grow up strong, both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Maybe you're what he needs, not me."

"Everyone needs their mothers." she responded. She thought about mentioning no matter where they were, he'd still get hurt. Zoe wanted to mention the whole I-got-stabbed-with-a-stick/scythe-thing-and-recovered!

Except Johnny had exclusivley told him, that according to Lance, his mother didn't like any of her family being hurt, and was extremely overprotective after what happened. Ori was another matter, and she had no control over it.

"Promise me one thing though."

"Anything."

"Don't let him get hurt. Don't break his heart. Be there when he needs you, girlfriend or not." Alliya looked at hurt with almost a sad smile.

"Of course."

"Shall we return to the party then?"

"Okay."

________________________

The departure from Balra was just as quiet as their arrival, they had both said goodbye to Maurise, Alliya, some other servants, Bella, Deric, Logan, Harold, Shayanna, others that Zoe wished she rememebered.

She also wished that she had time to say goodbye to Dante, he was so mysterious, but she felt like she knew him.

Zoe also knew that like a cat (ironic enough) she had an urge to flip the curl back. That was just seriously annoying.

Zoe hadn't done what she originally wanted to, because Alliya had talked to her the night before, so she knew they were together, but telling it to Lance they were just like 'have fun' onto Alliya. She sent them off to bed the night before with an 'I'll figure it out'

Sadly, Zoe didn't remember much about the trip back to the castle, only due to the fact that she had dozed off, -and who wouldn't, after almost three subsequent days of crazy?- and had fallen asleep on Johnny's shoulder. According to him, shortly after she had fallen asleep, that she had starting sneezing out of nowhere, but that she sneezed like a kitten, quiet, but also noticeable. He said it was just adorable.

They had both dozed off eventually, because when she woke up, he was still out cold, and even Lance was trying not to laugh (or at least Zoe thought he was). She was still a bit disoriented.

When they got back, it felt weird to have Kam and Tonks with her again, after being dipped into the world of the royals for seven days. They asked all sorts of questions, like what had occured between her and Johnny, but she kept her lips zipped, and from what she knew, he did as well.

Zoe fell into a nap, but before, she realized she forgot to ask Pidge, or Vince for that matter, about her voltcom flickering green. 

She dozed off thinking of crazy servants, what her family was really like, and Dante.

________________________

"URRRRRRGH! MAAHOX! Yet another failed!!"

"My lady, calm yourself, please. I have one more trick up my sleeve."

"YOU SAID THAT LAST TIME! I WANT THOSE PESTERING KIDS GONE!"

"Yes my lady. Haggar? Do you mind coming in here?" he asked, and the shadow of a hunched over older woman escaped of the darkness of the hallway, with snowy white hair, and downed hood, with bright green eyes.

"What do you require my lady?"

___________________

OMG

It's 1:03 in the morning (I AM NOT LYING)

 

 

I finished a 6475 word chapter. Do not expect this again. Not possible (or maybe~)

Yes, mostly Zoe, Johnny, Lance, and Alliya. Plus Dante. And Maurise and cuckoo crazy Ori.

NO! I'm not pulling a space dad. Promise. (anyone who understands the reference please comment down below).

And predictions for Dante!! I'm guessing most of you guys know what I'm nodding at.

See ya'll soon~


	9. Episode 9: Airplanes

6000 words. Omg that is too many zeros. Too freaking amazing!

 

___________________

Days after, Zoe still questioned her encounter with Dante. She felt like the looked too much like her, the only difference being his green eyes to her chocolate brown ones. She tried not to daydream too much, Tonks would notice and pester her until she told him.

After the events of two weeks ago, she had managed to forget about most of everything, including what she had been meaning to ask Pidge. Even after smacking her head over and over didn't help, she still wondered what she had forgotten.

Dear God I hope it isn't something that'll affect me later.

_____________________

"Who is this woman you brought me?" Beryle asked. "What can you do for me, where others have failed?"

"My lady, if you don't remember, I served your father when he was, well, still breathing." she answered. "I am Haggar."

"Haggar, Shmaggar. Your name means nothing to me." Beryle rolled her eyes. "Are you saying you brought me a worthless piece of trash?", directing her question to Maahox.

"No, no of course not. She's a very powerful...witch, if you will call her that." he answered. "She will be a powerful asset to our movement."

"Well, now that changes things, doesn't it?" Beryle asked. "I want to destroy Voltron, she's powerful enough to help us. Not going to lie, it has been a bit boring since Zerpo, ah, went on a vacation."

"Of course my lady."

________________

"Hey, Alex, where's your sister?"

"I need your sister to look at something."

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there! I was looking for Kam."

Alex didn't think they were blantantly ignoring him for his sister, no.

Except, who wouldn't feel like he was just a toy with the actual meal from a fast-food restuarant, if everyone was looking for your sibling rather than you, when you were perfectly competent to complete the task at hand? Even back on Earth, when they were younger, people would still mistake him for just another kid in class, or would always ask where Kam was, and even when she didn't know what to do, they still wouldn't ask him.

"Where's your sister, Alex?" Johnny asked. "I kind of need her to look at something."

"Oh, let me see it." he said, rolling away from his desk. "What is it?"

"No, it's alright. I'll find her." he said, dissapearing into the castle.

He sighed, and returned to his desk. Don't get him wrong, no, he loved being with his sister, but she was kind of the hero. Kam was always stronger than he was when they were younger, but Alex was just a shy kid. Almost being blind as a kid did not help his case. Since then he had gotten used to not really being able to see, thankfully his other senses had kicked in a while ago.

Alex didn't really think that Kam even remembered him telling her so many years ago he could barely see. The only reason he sort of remembered was because he remembered Kam immediatly taking him by the ear and asking why in the stars he was just telling her now.

Even since they'd gotten here, his vision had gotten progressively worse, but then again, he had been constantly surrounded by technology's glare and such. He made sure he'd only had one eye infection between the age of 12 and 15, one of which he woke up, and screamed. He had known that Kam had raced in asking where the intruder was. When he explained he couldn't see anything more than shadows, he noticed his sight was slowly returning, but it wasn't enough not to continue panicking. At a later time, he just assumed he had something in his eye from sleeping, and it blocked him from seeing. Knowing he had always had this issue made it harder for him to believe though, since he could remember he'd been running into walls.

Kam had made sure that Grace had never found out about that incident. She -and he quoted- said "If it's temporary, it shouldn't happen again. No reason for a doctor's visit"

Then again, Kam was only thirteen and didn't care less for seeing a professional. But since he was able to see later in the day, he left it alone.

Moving on from the subject of him almost being blind, Alex did not like surprises.

Especially the one Pidge dropped on them.

_____________________

"Hi."

Zoe had to keep her mouth shut.

Why in the world would Dante be here?

"My son. Dante's taking over for Vince." Pidge answered her question.

......This was not to be expected...

"Whoa. You're leaving Vince?" Daniel asked.

"I've helped out here all I can. I'm pursuing a new career, plus I haven't seen my family in a while." he said, scratching the back of his head. "Don't miss me too much."

"When are you leaving?" Allura asked. "I can prepare a ship for you."

"Tommorow, at the very latest, if that's okay."

"It's fine." she answered. "Whatever you need."

"Hey. I think I know you." Dante said, strolling over to her after the meeting dispersed.

"That's why I knew your last name. I didn't know you were the heir to the green lion." she said, pushing a small strand of hair behind her ear. "Good to see you though. How are you sisters?"

"Confusing as ever. Nice place you have here."

"Called it home for a while."

"Noticed the prince still lives here. Interesting, boring?" he asked. Dante looked to be seriously interested, but just by the way he talked, she could tell he was a playful dude, which would probably be annoying from time to time.

"Interesting, most of the time." she answered, smiling. "Seriously, who put you up to this?"

"My mom. Well, sort of. If you didn't know, this guy is an ace pilot. My mom heard that Vince -or whatever his name is- was leaving the team, and being the super 'is everyone alright?' type of mom, she didn't necessarily want my dad piloting green again."

"So she was more okay with sending you out instead?"

"Dunno. Said she wanted to put my major to use."

"You. Graduated a flight school?"

"With flying colors."

"That pun was uncalled for." Zoe said, punching him lightly. "See, I've known you for about forty five minutes, including our dance. Yet I feel like I've known you since forever."

"Past lives?" they both asked, sending them into a case of just giggles.

"Maybe Dante Gunderson. Maybe."

______________________

Shorter chapter, definitely!! I will do a bit more....

Later. Maybe.

Notes: No. Alex does not have [insert eye disease here] like he says, he had it since he could remember. Yes, you can do some serious damage to your retinas early on in life and it will affect you badly later. I decided against waiting out so that other people could figure it out. Alex hit his head while playing a game of soccer when he was about five years old. Since then he has had eye problems. 

"Why didn't Grace notice it?"

"Didn't he go to the doctor's between the beginning of the series and then?"

These things can go undetected sometimes. It's not too unusual. And remember, Grace was attempting to keep their Arusian blood under wraps. I don't think they'd go too often.

So no, it was not Keith and Allura being bad parents. Do not assume this.

And yes, I do know what I'm talking about. (Look at my history. It took me about an hour)

Thank you.


End file.
